Three people have been confirmed dead after a train derailed near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire at 9.43am Wednesday morning.
All three were pronounced dead at the scene the British Transport Police (BTP) have confirmed, despite the best efforts of paramedics.
A further six people have been taken to hospital to be treated for injuries - the BTP said 'thankfully these injuries were not believed to be serious'.
The ScotRail passenger train was travelling from Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street.
In a statement, BTP said that while formal identification is yet to take place, one of the dead is believed to have been the driver of the train.
His family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.
Officers are continuing to work to inform the families of the other two people who sadly died.
Chief Superintendent Eddie Wylie said: 'This is a tragic incident and first and foremost our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have very sadly died this morning.
'We remain on scene alongside our emergency service colleagues, and a major incident operation has been underway. I would like to reassure the public that this was not a busy service, and from CCTV enquiries and witness statements we believe all passengers have been accounted for. However, once the area has been made safe then a full and thorough search will be conducted, which is likely to take some time.
'I know many people will understandably have questions, and we will be working closely alongside the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and the Office of Rail and Road to establish the full circumstances of how the train came to derail.'
Emergency services rushed in numbers to the scene with around 30 vehicles, as well as helicopters arriving throughout the day.
The derailment came after a night of torrential rain in Scotland. Network Rail released tweeted statements and video that said there had been reports of landslips in Scotland and flooding on the lines this morning.
The current theory is that serious landslips in the area could have caused the train to derail.
Cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity Michael Matheson said: 'Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of those who have lost their lives and those who were injured in this tragic rail incident near Stonehaven this morning.
'I attended the SGoRR meetings earlier and have been provided with regular updates on this very serious situation and I will continue to keep up to date with the latest developments. I also plan to meet with some of the emergency responders tomorrow morning.
'I would like to thank all the engineers and emergency services who are responding to this incident and the challenging conditions they are dealing with at this time.'
Local MP Andrew Bowie said the transport secretary Grant Shapps was liaising with ScotRail and Network Rail in Scotland.
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